Interview
Midnight Sister s debut LP, 2017 s
Saturn Over Sunset, felt like some lost classic from the moment it came out. Matching the adrogynous vocals of Juliana Giraffe to the giddy, woody orchestrations of Ari Balouzian, the Los Angeles duo created a stirring sound that felt out-of-time, and out-of-place, in the digital era. It was a debut that was at once experimental and pop, slyly funny whilst heartbreakingly beautiful.
The album was, lyrically, full of colourful characters and fictional narratives. And these songs were matched to a host of striking visuals, both still and in music-video form, which led to the feeling that the music was cinematic; that it felt like some strange, old, psychedelic movie.
[RCA Records]
Former One Directioner Zayn Malik may be continuing his concerted effort to distance himself from his boy band roots, but there’s still one trait he thankfully hasn’t left behind: His penchant for serious sentimentality. His debut album
Mind Of Mine may have confirmed as much, but the 11 tracks of his third offering,
Nobody Is Listening, really drive home Malik’s long-established, swoon-inducing persona. Second single “Vibez” maintains the proficiency with gauzy orchestration and laid-back vocals the kind that exists in the convenient pocket between pop and R&B. However, this collection plays in the rhythmic sandbox to further expand his sound, exploring bluesy melodies that reflect a modern, lo-fi soundscape one moment (“Better”) and vintage, Phil Collins-esque vibes the next (“Sweat”). What makes this particular jaunt a real treat is when he abandons his understated vocal proclivities for a fuller, wholly vulnerable display like “River Road,�
Part of the reason for the prevalence of second-album syndrome is the tendency of artists to cram every good idea they have into their debut, just in case it’s the only chance they get to make a personal statement. In the case of Midnight Sister, a Los Angeles two-piece who turned in a beguiling debut in
Saturn Over Sunset three years ago, the well has evidently not run dry;
Painting the Roses is a delicate tapestry of high concepts, one that takes an appealingly lax approach to genre boundaries.
Singer Juliana Giraffe travelled to Argentina in order to reconnect with her roots during the writing of